Qantas set to fly 50,000 litres of fresh milk a week from Hobart to China

Qantas is set to fly 50,000 litres of fresh milk a week from Hobart to China, in the face of “huge demand”.

Alison Webster, Executive Manager of Qantas Freight with Moon Lake Investment's Managing Director, Sean Shwe and Premier Will Hodgman with the first batch of VDL Diary milk branded as "VAN" bound for Chinese consumers Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

More than 50,000 litres of fresh milk a week will be flown by Qantas from Hobart to China if a freight deal between VAN Dairy and the airline gets off the ground.

Subject to government and regulatory approval, the Tasmanian dairy producer’s milk will be carried by Boeing 767 to Ningbo and then trucked to cities including China’s capital Beijing during the first half of 2017. Qantas plans to run one flight a week but could increase the number depending on demand.

Managing director of VAN Dairy’s parent company Moon Lake Investments, Sean Shwe, said there is a “huge demand” for fresh milk in China.

“Establishing this trade bridge is an exciting venture for our dairy company ... and opens the door for access for other Tasmanian producers of fresh, perishables such as seafood, fruit and vegetables,” he said.

Australia’s oldest dairy farm, VAN Dairy, formerly Van Dieman’s Land Farms, was controversially bought by China’s Moon Lake Investments in February.

AAP